Could a consequence of the province's decision to cut photo radar sites by April 2025 be a decrease in available victim services funds? According to St. Albert Coun. Ken MacKay, it's definitely a possibility.
In 2024, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen announced the province aims to cut photo radar sites by 70 per cent. Effective April 1, 2025, photo radar will no longer be allowed on numbered provincial highways and will be restricted to school, playground, and construction zones. Any cameras set up in intersections will be restricted to red light enforcement only. The cuts would eliminate 44 per cent of St. Albert photo radar sites.
There has been much made from city officials on what the potential consequences will be if the province cuts photo radar by 70 per cent like they've proposed. From a decrease in safety on numerous roads to RCMP officers having to fill in with manned enforcement with a new lack of automated traffic enforcement (ATE) sites. But MacKay said another potential — if unintended – consequence will be a decrease in the funds available for victim services.
MacKay initially made comments during the St. Albert policing committee, and later said during an interview that there are unintended consequences all relating back to the decision by the government to come up with new restrictions on what they call automated traffic enforcement.
A portion from victim services funds comes from what's called a victim surcharge fee, a portion of money that is taken off of tickets issued by the RCMP and ATE sites and used to help fund victim services organizations.
"So if you kind of do the math, if you eliminate photo enforcement sites and you curtail the amount of potential fine revenue, you're also impacting victim services," MacKay said.
The math may seem simple, but those at victim services were unaware of the impact, if any, that the cuts may have.
"I don't have any visibility to how the government will fund victim services in the future," said Pat Bourne, the current Board Chair for the Central Alberta Region Victim Serving Society. She added that they are currently on a two year funding term with the province, since moving to the regional model in September 2024.
"They have consistently said that this is an important program and they want to make sure it continues," she added.
Under the new model, the Central Alberta Region Victim Serving Society coverage includes St. Albert, Morinville and Rocky Mountain House. Eastern Alberta Region Victim Serving Society covers Bonnyville, Elk Point, Lac La Biche, St. Paul, and Westlock. A full list of each region's coverage locations can be found on the Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern region websites.
Former Chair of the St. Albert Victim Services Association Randy Black also said he had no visibility to how the money, which came in the form of municipal and provincial grants, was put together.
"What was communicated to us annually was a commitment by the city for grant funding. The source of that funding; I do not know where the city was making the decision to pull money from, whether it was from photo radar or from some other source," Black said. When the St. Albert Victim Services organization closed its doors in September, Black said they returned any unused funds from the grants.
While any impact the cuts to photo radar may have won't be visible until the province's changes take effect in April 2025, MacKay hopes any potential loss in funds through the reduction of photo radar will be made up in some other form by the provincial government.
"That money will have to be made up through other means, from revenue from the government or through their budget process," he said, adding that he believes victim services "is an important part of not only our community, but the whole justice system."
In an emailed statement, Arthur Green Press, secretary for Public Safety and Emergency Services said "Alberta’s government has committed $26.7 million per year (up from $20 million) for victim services through RCMP-based victim services units, victim services offered by municipal and Indigenous police services, specialized criminal justice navigators, and integrated services related to domestic violence and Youth Advocacy Centres. The Victims of Crime and Public Safety Fund is expected to remain in a healthy financial position."
